Geranium plant named ‘Fisdapi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named ‘Fisdapi’, as described and illustrated, and particularly characterized by the combined features of large, round, pink and purple, bi-colored flowers, relatively large and wide inflorescences, dark-green foliage, and medium sized, uniform plant habit.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Pelargonium zonale.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Fisdapi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium,botanically known as Pelargonium zonale, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name ‘Fisdapi’.

‘Fisdapi’ is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new geranium varieties with bi-colored flowers incombination with dark-green foliage.

‘Fisdapi’ originated from a hybridization made by the inventor AngelikaUtecht in a controlled breeding program in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain,in 1995. The female parent is an unpatented hybrid seedling, no.K93-859-4, which was derived from a cross of the unpatented variety‘Flofiti’ and the variety ‘Feeling’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,717).

‘Flofiti’ is characterized by pink flowers with darker eyes, largeumbels, uniform, dark-green foliage, and moderately compact plant habit.‘Feeling’ has large pink flowers with macules, and large umbels, mediumgreen foliage with weak zonation, and more moderately compact planthabit and well-branched.

The male parent of ‘Fisdapi’ is the patented cultivar ‘Fisbravo’, (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,765), characterized by pink colored flowers with largepurple eyes, dark-green, slightly zoned foliage and moderately compactplant habit.

‘Fisdapi’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross by Angelika Utecht in 1996 in a controlled environment inGaldar, Gran Canaria, Spain.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Fisdapi’ was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in the fall of1996 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, by, orunder the supervision of, Angelika Utecht.

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in May 1998 in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany, andcontinuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination ofcharacteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Fisdapi’ are firmly fixed andare retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. Thenew cultivar reproduces true to type.

‘Fisdapi’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

The following observations, measurements, and comparisons describeplants grown in Hillscheid, Germany, and in Langley, British Columbia,Canada, under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generallyused in commercial practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘Fisdapi’ which in combination distinguishthis geranium as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Round, dark-pink flowers with large purple eyes;

2. Wide umbels on long peduncles;

3. Dark-green foliage, usually without zonation;

4. Moderately compact growth, and medium sized, round plant habit; and

5. Mid season spring flowering response.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, theclosest comparison to ‘Fisdapi’ is the parental cultivar ‘Fisbravo’.

In comparison to ‘Fisbravo’, ‘Fisdapi’ has flowers of similar shape andsize, and with a similar markings, but the general flower color is muchdeeper and more intense. Umbels of ‘Fisdapi’ are somewhat larger,rounder in shape and are consist of a higher number of flowers.

In comparison to K93-859-4, the female parental cultivar, has similarflower color: bluish-pink flowers with dark pink eyes, medium sizedumbels, significantly lighter green foliage with weak zonation, and acompact, low plant habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘Fisdapi’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type. The plants were grown in 8 inch containersand had not been pinched.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.). The color values weredetermined indoors from plants developed in a green-house in May, 2000in Hillscheid, Germany. The measurements were taken in Langley in earlyJuly, 2001, 18 weeks after planting of rooted cuttings.

Inflorescence:

Type.—Umbel.

Shape.—Semi-spherical to umbrella-shape.

Average diameter.—134 mm.

Average depth.—76 mm.

Peduncle length.—228 mm.

Peduncle color.—Mostly green, RHS 143 B, in parts slightly brownish RHS173 A.

Pedicel length.—34 mm, occasionally with spur (rare for a zonalevariety).

Pedicel color.—Base green, RHS 144 A,middle brownish 179 A, near upperend dark brown-red, RHS 184 A.

Number of flowers per umbel.—Average 20 to 25.

Corolla:

Average diameter.—52 mm.

Form.—Semi-double.

Shape.—Round.

Number of petals.—Average 7.4.

Number of petaloids.—Average 0-1.

Shape of petals.—Obovate, base acute, upper end is truncate or rounded,margins are entire, occasionally slightly serrulated at the tips.

Size of petals.—Upper petals: 26-28 mm long, 19-24 mm wide (somewhatvariable); lower petals: 24-26 mm long, 23-25 mm wide.

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).—Bluish pink,with large brilliant red eyes.

Color of upper petals.—Near margin RHS 66 C.

Markings of upper petals.—Large red macules, between RHS 52 A and RHS 57A, white bases, RHS 155 D, distinct purple veins RHS 74 C.

Color of lower petals.—Somewhat variable from RHS 66 C to RHS 68 A.

Markings of lower petals.—Red macules, RHS 57 B, and light pink bases,from approximately RHS 68 C to RHS 68 D.

Color of lower surface of petals.—Mainly RHS 73 A, towards the baseslighter RHS 73 C, and reddish veins, RHS 74 C.

Petaloid shape.—Irregular.

Petaloid color.—Upper surface is RHS 66 C, Lower surface is RHS 73 A.

Color of sepals.—Outer surface: base dark brown, RHS 181 A, tips lightgreen RHS 143 B to RHS 143 C; inner surface: base RHS 179 A, tips RHS143 C.

Number of sepals.—5.

Shape of sepals.—Linear to lanceolate, acute tip, truncate base, surfacewith weak, very short pubescence, margin entire.

Size of sepals.—10-11 mm long, 4 mm wide for the largest upper sepal,2-3 mm in width for the other sepals.

Bud: (just before petals unfold):

Shape.—Narrow elliptical.

Color (lower part, sepals).—Green, RHS 143 B.

Color (upper part, petals).—Purple-pink, somewhat variable from RHS 66 Cto RHS 66 D.

Length.—18-20 mm.

Width.—9 mm.

Reproductive organs:

Androecium.—7 fertile anthers, filaments white, RHS 155 D, to lightpink, RHS 66 D, plenty of pollen production, orange, RHS 30 A.

Gynoecium.—One pistil per plant, red style and stigma, RHS 57 A, 5 to6-lobed stigma.

Fertility/seed set.—No seed observed.

Spring flowering response period: In Hillscheid, Germany, in 2000 plantshad on average 1.3 flowers open 9 weeks after planting of rootedcuttings.

Outdoor flower production: Continuously flowering, the flower count in2000 in Hillscheid, Germany, indicated on average 3 inflorescences perplant in mid May.

Durability: Good stability of flower color; relatively good rainresistance.

Lastingness of the individual flower: About 8-9 days at 18° C., about 18days for the umbel.

Fragrance: None.

Pest/disease resistance/susceptibility: No observations to date.

PLANT

Foliage:

Shape.—Kidney-shaped, with relatively distinct lobes, with open to wideopen, cordate base.

Margin.—Bicrenated, distinctly wavy.

Texture.—Upper surface smooth, velvety.

Size of leaf.—98.5 mm wide, 62.5 mm long.

Color of upper surface.—Dark-green, approximately RHS 137 A to RHS 137B.

Zonation.—Usually absent, only very weak on young leaves: darker greencolor, about RHS 147 A.

Color of lower surface.—RHS 137 D.

Petioles.—60-70 mm long, 3-4 mm in diameter, light to medium-green, RHS137 D.

General appearance and form:

Stem color.—Green, RHS 137 D.

Internode length.—10-30 mm.

Branching pattern.—8.0 branches.

Size of plants.—Height of foliage canopy 28 cm, width/diameter: 42.6 cmmeasured from the top of the soil (base of the main stem) to the foliageupper surface, without inflorescences.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named‘Fisdapi’, as described and illustrated herein.